He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
God, our protector, keep us in mind; always give strength to your people. For if
we can be with you even one day, it is better than a thousand without you.
PENITENTIAL RITE
Today the church in India observes JUSTICE SUNDAY. The Vatican Document ‘Gaudium
et Spes’ reminds that, “Every type of discrimination, whether social or
cultural, whether based on sex, race, colour, language or religion, is to be
eradicated as contrary to God’s intent”.
The Eucharist is the centre of Christian life and the bond of union with Jesus
and our brethren. Furthermore, by partaking in this sacrifice offered to God,
believers could be united with Christ and with the Father in an intimate manner.
Do we receive this truly heavenly food, the Body of Christ, with the proper
preparation and deep faith? Let us be sorry and ask pardon from the Lord for all
our sins, especially, sins of discrimination and injustice.
I confess. . .
Glory to God...
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray: God our Father, may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us beyond all our imagining. We ask
this…
FIRST READING
(Wisdom is described as a person—a great lady who has built herself a mansion.
She sends out invitations to partake of her meal to all in the town who are
open-minded and, as yet, ignorant of true wisdom. Wisdom is anxious to teach
people how to walk according to the truth.)
A reading from the Book of Proverbs (9:1-6)
Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven pillars. She has
slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table. She
has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is
simple, let him turn in here!” To him who is without sense she says, “Come, eat
of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave simpleness, and live, and
walk in the way of insight.”
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (33)
Response: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my
soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. R./
Revere the Lord, you his saints. They lack nothing, those who revere him. Strong
lions suffer want and go hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
R./
Come, children, and hear me that I may teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is he
who longs for life and many days, to enjoy his prosperity? R./
Then keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn aside
from evil and do good; seek and strive after peace. R./
SECOND READING
(St Paul urges the Ephesians to live according to the Christian wisdom they have
received: to live according to the will of the Lord. He exhorts them to be full
of gratitude to God for all the gifts given to them.)
A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (5:15-20)
Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of
the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is
debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your
heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ to God the Father.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION (Jn 6:51)
Alleluia! Alleluia! I am the living bread which came down from heaven, says the
Lord; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever. Alleluia!
GOSPEL
(Jesus tells the people that he will give them his flesh and blood to be their
spiritual food and drink. Before the multitude to whom he was speaking at
Capernaum could begin to grasp this extraordinary promise, he stressed the
necessity of an unquestioning faith in him as one who has come down from heaven,
and as one who has ‘seen’ the Father.)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John (6:51-58)
Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if
any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall
give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his
flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you
eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he
who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He
who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living
Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live
because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the
fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord
I believe in God,/the Father almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe
in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was
crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he
rose again./He ascended into heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the
Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the
Holy Spirit,/the holy catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness
of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, let us thank and praise our heavenly Father for
the many gifts and blessings he has given us through his Son Jesus. The
Eucharist is the mystery of the divine love that moved Christ to leave us such
an intimate and effective memorial of the love he showed for us on Calvary. Let
us pray to our Father for a deeper faith in the transforming power of Eucharist,
saying:
Response: Father, make us Eucharistic persons.
1. We pray for the Pope and the pastors of our Church; grant them the gifts of
unity, love and peace. May they know the greatness of their vocation which they
have received and experience the power of the Eucharist in their daily lives.
R./
2. We pray for all nations and leaders; may they promote justice, peace and
brotherhood in the world. R./
3. We pray for all who dedicate their lives to the service of their brethren and
work for justice; may your grace inspire their actions and sustain them to the
end. R./
4. We pray for all those who are less privileged and oppressed by the powers of
this world; bring soon justice to them, and may they experience human dignity
and equality as children of God. R./
5 We pray for those who plan evil in their hearts, those who stir up strife and
violence; that through the power of the Blood of Christ, may they be converted
and saved from the grip of Satan. R./
(Pray for local and personal needs)
Cel: Lord God, you nourish us through the Eucharist, give us the spiritual
strength to fight against all our foes and finally merit heaven. As we receive
the Body and Blood of your Son, may we be healed and refreshed by your love. We
make this prayer through….
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, accept our sacrifice as a holy exchange of gifts. By offering what you
have given us may we receive the gift of yourself. We ask this…
PREFACE (P 32)
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks.
All things are of your making, all times and seasons obey your laws, but you
chose to create man in your own image, setting him over the whole world in all
its wonder.
You made man the steward of creation, to praise you day by day for the marvels
of your wisdom and power, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We praise you, Lord, with all the angels in their song of Joy:
All: Holy, holy, holy...
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God of mercy, by this sacrament you make us one with Christ. By becoming more
like him on earth, may we come to share his glory in heaven, where he lives and
reigns for ever and ever.
Liturgy & Life
The readings from St John’s sixth chapter that we have read during the past
Sundays deal with Jesus’ teaching as being the bread of life that replaced the
Law (Torah). Today, the same chapter reaches its climax in the motif of Jesus as
the bread of life in the Eucharist. Here, he gives us heavenly food that enables
us to share a relationship with the divinity. Here, one not only eats food
prepared by God, but the food is God.
When it comes to the Gospel of John, Jesus is Wisdom of God in the flesh. He
embodies it in his person. Jesus is the Way who, like Lady Wisdom, invites
people to come and eat the bread that nourishes them for life. Jesus’ dream is
not only to invite people to the banquet of life but TO BE the banquet of life.
His dream is to give his flesh for the life of the world. Not surprisingly, when
he shares this dream with his listeners, they cannot understand how it can be.
Jesus’ dream to share himself as food for others is no vanity. He makes it
possible on the Cross in the total giving of Self. It is helpful to remember
that for Jesus, the word “body” meant more than it means to us—it meant the
entire person. Also, in Jesus’ day, blood was regarded as the principle of
life—when a person lay wounded and bleeding, the loss of blood meant the person
often died. When Jesus says, “This is my body, my blood, given for you”, what he
is saying is, “This is the totality of my being, all that I am, all that I hope
to be”. This is a great summary of Jesus’ message: a self-giving love that is
offered without holding anything back. This is offered as the food of our life.
Here the shocking language and startled reaction of the audience serves as a
challenge to believers to affirm the seemingly impossible. In receiving the
Eucharist, our full humanity is joined with the full but transformed humanity of
Jesus, and this constitutes life in its fullness, which will never be taken
away.
Eternal life in John is a present possession that reaches its fulfilment in
total “abiding” with God; it is the life of faith, a kind and quality of life
that those who follow Jesus lead but a kind that will not be destroyed by death.
People of faith participate in this life while alive. It is the life that is
sustained by eating Jesus’ flesh and blood. Three times Jesus referred to the
importance of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. We are nourished by real
food and real drink: in eating and drinking we have new life in Jesus. We eat
the wisdom of God; it becomes part of our very being; it becomes our resource
for leaving folly and living a life of wisdom.
As he proceeded, Jesus made his teaching constantly stronger: “If you do not eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you”. Jesus
was giving us a share in the life that the Father shares with the Son—a true
communion with the real person of the Risen Lord. The people of the early Church
understood this. The Eucharist made a difference in their lives. It made it
possible for them to bear each day. Within that context, let us develop a
respect and awe for the Eucharist. And, also appreciate this self-gift, and
praise and thank Jesus for his total self-giving love.
—Fr Sebastian Kattackal, ssp
August 2009
READINGS OF THE WEEK
Psalter Week 4
17 Mon (G) Jgs 2:11-19; Ps 105:34-35,36-37,39-40,43ab&44; Mt 19:16-22
18 Tue (G) Jgs 6:11-24a, Ps 84:9,11-12,13-14; Mt 19:23-30
19 Wed (G) Jgs 9:6-15; Ps 20:2-3,4-5,6-7; Mt 20:1-16a
20 Thu (W) St Bernard, Jgs 11:29-39a; Ps 39:5,7-8a,8b-9,10; Mt 22:1-14
21 Fri (W) St Pius X, (mem) Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22; Ps
145:5-6ab,6c-7,8-9,8c&9c-10; Mt 22:34-40
22 Sat (W) The Queenship of Mary (mem) Is 9:1-6,Ps 112:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8; Lk
1:26-38
